We get the question, “when is it time to replace my furnace?” very frequently. Many homeowners delay making this decision for two main reasons: they don’t know when to replace or they decide it’s too costly and they decide to wait. All good things come to an end, and you will have to say goodbye to your furnace eventually.
Here are a few signs indicating that it’s time for an upgrade!
- Retirement age: usually furnaces lifetime is between 15-25 years, depending on how and if you had the proper maintenance done during this period of time. By providing maintenance, it means changing the filters periodically, doing annual inspections and cleaning the furnace’s different components (fan/blower) regularly.
- Repair costs: as your furnace ages, it depreciates in value – kind of like a car. You’ll want to consider whether it’s worth it to pay for current repairs or just get a new unit. It may seem cheaper to fix rather than replace the furnace at first. But if you write down all of the current and possible future repairs and replacements, you might conclude it should be time to retire your old unit.
- Increase in energy bills: take a look at your energy bills. Are you noticing that each year your heating bills are climbing higher and higher during the winter? Even if your unit has a few years left in it, it may not be cost-efficient to keep it if your energy bills during the heating season are high because of the furnace’s deficient efficiency.
The government uses the AFUE rating, the higher the percentage, the more efficient the unit is. Check this Energy Savings Calculator from Lennox and you can have an idea.
Unsure of what kind of heating system you have? Click here to learn more.
In any case, the expert team of technicians from Milani Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning are always prepared to help you make the best decision. Learn More.